Some tired boys at the end of a tough match won this year by the RFA. To view the detailed results click here.
We had our annual match against the Rugby Fives Association yesterday and despite the fact that Dan Tristao only emailed me at 4am on the morning of the match confirming their team (which was still 2 and a half hours before he went to bed!) they turned up with a very strong team.
Any team with John Minta and Ben Beltrami down as a third pair are going to be a match for anyone and indeed they proved to be too strong for the WFA team.
With each pair playing each of the opposition pairs in 1 game to 15 and then then 2 games against their opposite pair the RFA got their noses in front after the first round of matches and then continued to win each round such that in the end their overall winning margin was 249-214.
I would love to describe more of the matches but as mine was always the last to finish each round I did not see anyone else playing until we had the privilege of watching the final game between both team's first pairs.
The speed and anticipation of both Dan and Will (and Hamish and James!) around the buttress was absolutely incredible and a real treat to see.
Unusually for a fives match we finished bang on time and so we able to head to The Queen for so well earned lunch at the time we said we would be there!
Thanks to all for playing, especially those who came from quite a distance-John Minta for Manchester, Steve Coffey from Malvern, James Marshall from Brighton, Theo, Olly and Tom from Bristol then many more from London.
Next year we will get our revenge but the series is now poised at 3-3!
WFA vs RFA
2011 WFA win 248-217
2012 WFA win 252-223
2013 RFA win 237-217
2014 RFA win 258-230
2015 WFA win 266-257
2016 RFA win 249-214